The Hindu : Karnataka News : Infighting in Congress gets worse

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 27, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka

Infighting in Congress gets worse

Correspondent

Alva's supporters accuse Deshpande of spoiling party's reputation in the district
All loyal and former Congressmen will be united to save the party: Naik

Karwar: The infighting among Congress factions in Uttara Kannada district, led by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president R.V. Deshpande and Margaret Alva, took a serious turn with Mr. Alva's supporters accusing Mr. Deshpande of spoiling the party's reputation in the district. The infighting to take control of the party apparatus in the district, from where both the of the leaders hail, is becoming worse with both groups accusing each other publicly.

Addressing presspersons at Karwar on Sunday evening, Ashok Naik, DCC member and Ms. Alva's loyalist, alleged that while constituting the District Congress Committee, a particular group completely sidelined Mr. Alva's supporters and gave the posts to people who were engaged in anti-party activities. Accusing Satish Sail, KPCC member, Shambhu Shetty, DCC member, and Deepak Vaingankar Karwar, block Congress president for deliberately playing the anti-Alva card, Mr. Naik said that these people had formed a coterie with help from Mr. Deshpande and were trying to take control of the party.

He said the loyal party workers had brought these matters to the notice of Ms. Alva, but she being the Governor did not react to the political matters during her visit to Karwar on September 19. Mr. Naik said that Ms. Alva's supporters are confident of her return to the Uttara Kannada politics. They have urged her to resign from the Governor's post and return to active politics.

Mr. Naik said that Ms. Alva's supporters were quiet all these days as they were hoping to solve the problems within the party-fold, but Mr. Deshpande's supporters held press meets in all the taluks during the last week and criticised Ms. Alva's supporters.

He said Ms. Alva's supporters had gone to meet Gulam Nabi Azad at Bangalore during his visit last week to apprise him of the situation prevailing in the district congress.

But Jayasimha, personal secretary of Mr. Deshpande, intervened and abused Ms. Alva's supporters and used derogatory remarks against her, Mr. Naik alleged. They were prevented from meeting Mr. Azad and as a result these party workers raised slogans against KPCC president, he said.

He held Mr. Deshpande responsible for all the incidences that followed.

He said some Congress leaders who had entered the party from Janata Dal (S) and BJP were trying to sideline the loyal and original congress workers in the district.

Mr. Naik said that all the loyal and former Congressmen will be united to save the party. Criticising the demand of Mr. Deshpande's loyalists to expel him and others who raised slogans in Bangalore, Mr. Naik challenged them to expel them from the party.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka